Jig or ore-concentrator.



PATENTED TUNE 26, 1906.

A. o. CAMPBELL.

JIG 0R GRE GONGENTRATOR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.19, 1903. BENEWED FEB. 17, 1906.

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PATENTED JUNE 26, 1906.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

ALONZO C. CAMPBELL, OF ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA. ale. onoRE-coNoENTBAi-on.

i Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 26, 1906.

Application filed September 19, 1903. Renewed Februaryl '7, 190B. SerialNo. 361.683.

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALONZO C. CAMPBELL,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Asheville, in thecounty of Buncombe and Y State ofNorth Carolina, have invented a new andImproved Jig or Ore-Concentrator, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description. V

This invention relates to improvements in jigs or pneumaticore-concentrators, an object being to provide a machine of thischaracter that will be simple in its construction, having no partsliable to get out of order, and by means of which the work may bethoroughly done and rapidly carried on.

Other objects of the invention will appear in the eneral description.

I willdescribe ajig or ore-concentrator embodying my invention and thenpoint out the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a jig or ore-concentrator embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation thereof, and Fig. 3 is afragmentary section showing the arrangement of the es.

The-machine comprises a boX or casing 1, here shown as supported on aframe 2, and arranged in this These riflies practically form the topwall of a lower chamber 4, and it will be noted the said riles areinclined downward toward the outlet lend of the machine, and thus what Iterm a converging chamber is formed, the object of which will behereinafter described.

Above the riifles 3 is a chamber or space 5, which has a canvas orsimilar flexible cover 6. This cover 6 is secured at its edges to framemembers 7, extended around the opening in the top of the boX or at thetop of the chamber 5. The frame members are channeled on the outer side,and the material of the cover 6 is drawn tightly in the channellby abinder 8, consisting of cord or other suitable material, and thus anair-tight connection is This` cover 6 fits loosely-that is, its area isconsiderably larger than the opening through the top of the boX.

The chamber 5 communicates with a receiving casing or chamber 9, andthrough the top wall of this receiving-chamber a feed- `one valve isnecessar box is a series of riffles 3.`

and it not only serves as a pipe l0 extends, the said feed-pipe leadingfrom a bin or source of supply from above and terminating slightly abovethe riffles, as clearly indicated in Fig. 2. This casing or chamber 9communicates with a compressor 11 through an opening 12, and thisopening is controlled by a valve, here shown as a iiapvalve 13. Thisvalve will be closed and opened by air-pressure, as will be hereinafterdescribed. It may be here stated that only as the stu on the jigbox actsas a valve to check the backflow of air-that is, when the stufl" isbuoyed by the air from under the riffles all the passages are thoroughlyopened; but at the instant of cessation of the blast the stuii" dropsand packs, so that the backward flow is practically cut oif. Thecompressor also communicates with the converging chamber 4 through anopening 14. This Vcompressor is shown in the form of a bellows, and adistending-spring 15 is arranged within it, bearing against its outer orswinging wall and also against its opposite fixed wall. The compressoris operated at intervals by means of a rod 16, passingloosely through anopening 17 in a strap 18, attached to the movable portion of thebellows. The rod 16 is designed to have a lost-motion movement withrelation to the bellows, and

for this purpose I provide it with an adjustable collar 19, betweenwhich and a nut or collar 20 on the outer end of the rod the lost motlonoccurs.

The rod 16 connects with a crank or wrist pin 21 on a large wheel 22,mounted on a shaft 23, on which is a band-wheel 24. As before stated,this wheel 22 is quite heavy, crank-wheel and a balance-.wheel tobalance the motion of the machine, but it also serves as a portion of adevice for imparting a slight vibratory motion to the whole machine.motion is caused by a spring yielding hook 25, attached to the bottom ofthe jig-box and engaging with rasping-surfaces 26, arranged at variouspoints on the periphery of the wheel 22, and these rasping surfaces orareas are preferably removable.

Extended across the jig-box at the discharge end of the series of rlfHesis a dam consisting of a sheet of metal 27. The ends of the dam nt ingrooves formed in the side portions of the jig-box. Outward of the damis a space 28, into which the tailings fall and This vibratory IOO fromwhich the tailings discharge through a pipe 29. At suit able places thejig-box is provided with discharge-pipes 30 for the concentrates.

The ritlies 3 are made of galvanized iron or steel, and at the outletedge of each riffle there is an upward extension 31. The body portionsof the riiiles are overlapped, as clearly indicated in Fig. 3, andadjacent riffles are spaced apart by blocks 32 at the ends. lt may behere stated that the spaces between the ritlies are large as compared tothe size of a grain of the material to be treated. The body portions ofthe rifiies are inclined upward toward the outlet end of the machine.'lien the riflie-surface is loaded, the material will flow into thespaces and form a natural angle in each space of about forty-fivedegrees. The material cannot flow through by the force of gravity alone;but it may be induced to flow by additional Jforce or action coupledwith that of gravity, as will appear.

The passages between the riiles serve a double purpose-namely, for theflow of the concentrates on the lower surface of therifiles, also forthe flow of air or water toward the outlet end of the machine. Atintervals along the series of riifles there are long projections 33,which act to stop the too rapid ilow down the inclined surfaces of theriliies, the least dense material thus owing in a more or less thinsheet over the tops, while the more dense stuit is somewhat retarded.

The object of the convergent chamber 4 is to afford an equal pressure atall points in the length of the jig-surface.

Connected to the edges of the riitles toward the inlet end of themachine are pliable iiaps 31. These flaps serve substantially as valvesto regulate'and provide the impulse of air. It any portion of thematerial on the working surface should become too thin or scattered,thus giving too free vent to the passage of air or water, these ilapsact as valves or dampers and close in a greater or less degree or,entirely, by the increased pressure against them, thus automaticallyinsuring a more even pressure in allparts of the bed. Again, the ila-psor valves serve by sudden impact to cut oil" the blasts instantaneouslyand give individual particles of material a free fall, thus favoring thedesired classification of density. The llaps are adjustable to suit anycase by their thickness or degree of pliability and by the spaces, sothey may be made sensitive to any given impulse of air or water andrespond to suit the (iemands. I The rillles rest on strips 35, securedto the opposite sides of the jig-box, and -above the rillles and securedto said sides are strips 36, provided with channels for receiving theupturned portions of the riilies and holding them in place.

Having described the different parts of the mechanism, Iwill nowdescribe the process of -wrist-pin passes lof the spaces.

operation. Supposing it to be ap lied as an air-jig for washing coal.The coa from the storage-bin above flows through the pipe 10 and entersthe jig slightly above the riiiies at the upper end, as beforementioned. Mate# rial falling into the pipe piles upon the riflies in acone-shaped mass. This accumulation will stop the flow of stuff unlessit is removed to give place to a continuous flow. The wheel 22 rotatesin the direction indicated by the arrow thereon and through itsmovements operates the rod 16, which gives a maximum and instantaneousmotion to the compressor. The crank and rod then take on a retardedmotion until the wrist-pin reaches approximately the point indicated bya, when the bellows is at rest. As the from w to 'y the rod takes areverse motion and the link between the collars 19 20 slides through orwholly in the strap 18 until the collar 19 strikes said strap. Then thebellows begins to o en, if it has not in the meantime been disten ed bythe spring 15, which serves also to keep it distended until it is givenan instantaneous impulse, when the crank again passes its lowermostposition, a like impulse of air passing through the opening 14, whenceinto the chamber 4, thence through the spacings of the riiiles, andthrough the bed of material on the riiiies that is being jigged. Thedense stuff settles upon the ritfles according to the Well-known law,and it closes up the spaces and flows between the slightly-inclinedsurfaces of the riflies and forms a fixed angle that is given to thatparticular kind of material. The more dense stuff having the preferencewill repose upon the lowest areas, the lighter stuH rising to the top ofthe spaces, and it is constantly urged back by the very rapid successionof blasts of air that traverse the upper margins This classiiicationinto heads of density is further augmented by the tremulous or acousticvibration given the whole machine, and particularly to the metallicrifiles, by the rasping-surfaces 26 engaging with the spring 25. Thesevibrations serve another and most necessary purpose-namely, to cause theaccumulated dense stuff to flow along the extended margins of theriiiles and into the chamber 4. It keeps the individual particlesconstantly disengaged, thus favoring nicety of assortment of the densefrom the less dense. It also insures an uninterrupted flow into andthrough the pipes 30. The least dense material--that is, the cleancoal-lows down the inclined top surfaces and passes over the dam 27 anddrops into the space 28 and ilows out through the pipe 29. When the airpasses through the bed of stuii, it accumulates in the chamber 5 andcasing 9 and inflates the loose cover 6, so that no air is allowed toescape into the open atmosphere to vitiate itwith dust. At this instanta reverse action of the bellows exhausts IOO IIO

- sides, an

the air from the chamber, causing the iniiated cover to collapse. Thesame air is thus used over and over again.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. In a concentrator, a jig-box', overlappinriiliesarran ed therein, the series of rifes eing incline downward toward theoutlet end of the box, and a wheel having rasping-surfaces for engagingwith a part attached i to the box.

2. In a concentrator, a jig-box, and overlapping riies arranged therein,the lsaid riiles having upward extensions at their outlet sides.

3. In a concentratoi", a jig-box, overla ping and spaced riflies arraned therein, t e series of rifHes being inclined downward toward theoutlet end of the box, and a loose covering for the box arranged overthe riies.

In a concentrator, a jig-box, overlapping rilles arranged therein, thesaidriiiles aving u turned extensions at their'outlet a wheel havingrasping-surfaces for en aging with a part attached to the box.

5. a concentrator, a ji -box having an opening in the top rovided with aflexible cover, a series of ri es arranged in the box, and a compressorhaving communication with the box above and below the riiies.

6. Aconcentrator, or washer, com rising a jig-box, a series of riiilesarrangedp therein and overla ping, and flaps on the under edges of saiI'i es.

7. An ore-concentrator, com rising a jigbox, ries'arranged therein, aexible cover for the box, a compressor having communication with the boxabove and below the rifiles, a crank-wheel, and a rod connecting withsaid crank-wheel and having lost-motion connection with the movable partof the compressor. i

8. A concentrator or washer com rising a jig-box, a series of rifllesarranged t erein, a flexible cover for the'box, a compressorcommunicating with the box above and below the riflies, a valve for theupper opening or communication, a crank-wheel, and .a r'od havingconnection with' said crank-wheel,

.and a lost-motion connection with the movable part ofthe compressor.

9. A concentrator or washer com rising a jig-box, a series of rifliesarranged t erein at a downward inclination toward the outlet end of thebox, a flexible cover above the rifles, a dam at the lower end of theriffles, a receiver for material passing over the am, a dischargeleading from said receiver, discharging devices leading from the box,and means for causing the circulation of air through the box.

l0. In a concentrator, a jig-box, overlapping riiifles arranged at adownward inclination therein and s aced a tensions on the disc arge ecertain of said extensions height than the others, flaps on the loweredges of the riflies, and means for causing a art, upward exges of said.riiiies,

A circulation of ail-.through the box.

1 1. A concentrator com rising a jig-box, a series of riles arran edtherein, a com ressor for causin a circu ation of air throng the box, awheel Ier operating the said compressor at intervals, -rasping deviceson said lwheel, and a spring-hook attached to the'under side of the boxfor en rasping devices, the said w as a balance-wheel.

12. A concentrator comprising a ji -box, a series of riHes arrangedtherein and orming the up, er wall of the lower chamberin the box an thebottom wall of theupper chamber in the box, a feed-casingwith whichltheupper end of the upper chamber communicates, a feed-pipe extended intosaid casing and terminating slightly above the riiiles, a compressororcausing a circulation of air through the box, and means foroperatingsaid pneuaging with said eel also serving Imatic. l

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification inthepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

I ALONZO o. CAMPBELL Witnesses i D. T. JANErT. KATE B. HAoxNEY.

having a greater

